5 Types of Plants to Go with Your Outdoor Fountain

An outdoor garden fountain can be a wonderful centerpiece for your garden. Not only will it naturally draw the eye with its constantly-moving streams of water, but it will also give the viewer something intricate and artistic to focus on while your blooming plants and flowers frame your outdoor fountain. The end result will sure blow any visitor away and be a conversation starter for many months to come.

However, with the materials that an outdoor fountain is usually made with – whether it’s copper, steel, marble or something else – it can also easily stand out from the plants it’s supposed to complement. This could then have the completely opposite effect from what you were aiming for.

Thankfully, there is a way to remedy this, and it’s by introducing the right kind of plants to your outdoor fountain, specifically in its catch basin. By allowing specific types of aquatic plant life to grow on the surface of your fountain’s basin, you integrate it better into the greenery of your garden, preventing it from sticking out like a sore thumb.

Some of them can even enhance the appearance of the fountain, giving it a kind of fairytale-like look that most outdoor water fountains are perfect for. Finally, growing plants in your fountain’s basin can also protect against algae growth.

With that said, here are the plants you should consider growing on your outdoor fountain’s basin or pan.

The Water Hyacinth

This aquatic plant is extremely popular for being very hardy while, at the same time, being able to produce some of the most delicate-looking violet blossoms. As the hyacinth blooms most of the year, it’s sure to add a tender splash of color on your fountain.

The Red Star Ludwigia

While not necessarily a blooming plant, the red star does add a very vivid red color to your fountain’s surface with its almost maroon leaves and stems. Be warned, though, for much of it is actually submerged, and, as a creeper, it could snare around your fountain pump and burn it out. You can avoid this by always making sure to prune it every now and then.

The Fairy Moss

If you want to give your fountain a bit of a dreamy, fairytale quality without actually allowing your plants to creep all over it, then the fairy moss is a great alternative. Left to grow on its own, fairy moss will cover the water surface of your fountain with a thick-looking but actually shallow layer of leaves, making it resemble a grassy hillside. The tiny fern-like leaves also change color with the seasons, which would definitely enhance your garden’s autumn look. And if you’re concerned about fairy moss getting into your pump – don’t be, as the growth only extends to the surface and not anywhere lower.

The Water Lettuce

Similar to the water hyacinth, the water lettuce will give the surface of your water fountain’s basin a vibrant splash of green, along with some hints of white scattered here and there due to its flowers. The water lettuce is also a very hardy plant, which means you don’t have to handle it with kid gloves for it to flourish.

The Red Parrots Feather Dwarf

Another aquatic plant that grows and quickly covers the surface of the body of water it’s thriving in, the red parrots feather dwarf makes a perfect accent for fountain types that feature a lot of movement and flow in its basin. And just like the fairy moss, you don’t have to worry about this choking your fountain’s pump.

There you have it, five plants that you can use to improve your outdoor fountain’s look and make it integrate much more fluidly and vibrantly with your garden. Just remember that as these plants will need sustenance from the water they’re growing in, so you’ll have to sprinkle fertilizer in the water every now and then.

Article Submitted By Community Writer

5 Types of Plants to Go with Your Outdoor Fountain was last modified: February 8th, 2018 by vishal sharma

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